JOB FAIR - Aim Media Texas

JOB FAIR
• Landing The Job: Cover Letter, Resume, Interview Tips
• Choosing a Field or Career
• Networking
A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT FROM
MARCH
2014
2 JOB FAIR
Careers & Business
JOB FAIR:
• March 23, 2014
how to get hired
Index
H Cover
LETTER.......................4
H SAMPLE
H THE
Preparing yourself for the workforce
It’s a tough,
competitive job
market, especially
given the national,
state and local
rates of unemployment.
Still, if you’re
among the unemployed – or the
under-employed –
there are ways to
turn that around.
In this special
Job Fair publication, we offer tips
on writing your
cover letter and
putting together
that all-important
resume.
We consulted
Valley experts to
ask about the
interview process.
How should you prepare? What information should you have at your fingertips?
What documents should you bring?
And, because everyone we talked with
stressed that first
impressions are
critical, we even
have information
here about what to
wear to a job
interview – footwear included!
If you’re not
networking yet, it’s
time to start. It can
be one of the
strongest tools in
your job-hunting
toolbox.
There’s information here too for
those of you interested in a career in
law enforcement,
or food services, or
in the growing
need for an IT
Workforce.
The Valley
Morning Star, The Monitor and The
Brownsville Herald wish you the best of
luck in your job search, and in your chosen careers.
RESUME..........................5
H WHAT
H THE
LETTER.....................4
TO WEAR.......................6
RIGHT SHOES .................6
HNETWORKING..........................7
H THE
INTERVIEW.......................7
H LAW
ENFORCEMENT ...............8
H RESTAURANT
H IT
CAREERS.........10
WORKFORCE.....................11
A publication of Aim Media Texas
Publishers
Lilia Castillo Jones
Harlingen
Stephan Wingert
McAllen
Frank Escobedo
Brownsville
Editor
Marcia Caltabiano- Ponce
Advertising Director
Chris Castillo
Circulation Director
Rusty Hall
Reporters
Travis M. Whitehead
Fernando Del Valle
Jesse Mendoza
Kayleigh Sommer
Cover Design
Melba Cantu
Designer
Veronica F. Diaz
Cover
Letters
4 JOB FAIR
Careers & Business
• March 23, 2014
By Travis M. Whitehead
W
Valley Morning Star
hen applying for a job,
your cover letter can
make the difference in
whether your resume
gets read, or discarded.
Henry Castillo,
regional director for Southwest Key
Workforce Development – service provider
for Cameron Workforce Solutions
Cameron, which manages the workforce
centers in Cameron County – said jobs
generally considered “white-collar” jobs,
like those in a bank or lawyer’s office,
expect a cover letter, and employers of the
blue-collar workforce, like manufacturing
jobs, regard a cover letter as a welcome
surprise. Employers in the blue-collar
workforce may get up to 100 applications,
so the cover letter tends to grab their
attention.
No matter the position you’re applying
for, a cover letter gives an employer his or
her first impression of you, especially of
your written communication skills,
Castillo said.
“Does the letter flow well? Do they take
the time to introduce themselves? Tell us
about their background. Tell us why they
believe that they would be a good candidate to come work for us,” he said.
He also looks for good grammar and
spelling, so it’s important to proof read it,
or have someone do that for you.
Your cover letter should be in a proper
format.
H Basically, the opening paragraph
introduces the applicant.
H The body paragraph or paragraphs
tell the employer what the applicant has to
offer the company – consider it to be a
very short synopsis of the resume.
H The closing paragraph should say,
“This is why, for this reason, because of all
this, I feel that I’m a good candidate for
you,” Castillo said.
Douglas Stoves, dean of students at the
University of Texas at Brownsville, said the
cover letter should highlight the resume.
“It’s your first introduction,” said
Stoves, who works with the career services
office. “The resume tends to be very brief
because you want it to be easy to read and
you want it to be quick to digest. So the
cover letter kind of bridges everything
together and says, ‘Why am I the appropriate person for the job?’”
Stoves suggests writing the resume first,
then using the cover letter to weave everything together.
And convey confidence in your letter.
“You’re not going to be pleading for the
job,” he said. “You’re going to say, ‘This is
why I’m the best person.’”
He strongly advises against including a
picture with your cover letter.
“It can become a distraction to what
you’re about,” he said. “You want to make
sure the employer is focused on you for
the job.”
Stoves said a number of Internet
resources are available to help people
write a cover letter, such as Monster.com.
And local municipal and school libraries
have numerous resources and books to
help guide you through writing a cover
letter and compiling a resume.
Juan Andres Rodriguez, program director for the career services department at
UT Brownsville, said most universities
and colleges provide students and recent
graduates with a range of resources to
learn how to create resumes and cover letters.
Some online services, too, include
video tutorials that can guide students
through writing a cover letter and resume,
as well as how to present themselves in an
interview.
Those tutorials are available at www.
utb.edu/sa/careerservices/Pages/videotutorials.aspx#.
Valley Morning Star
What’s the best way to write a cover letter? That’s easy: Keep it short,
simple and neat. Do not include your life history, or repeat everything that’s
already in your resume. Give a few career highlights, refer to your strengths,
your resume, and ask for an interview. Employers are busy. They’ll appreciate your brevity, and your honesty.
Here’s a short cover letter you can use as a model
Monica Garza
5555 Main Street
McAllen, Texas 78504
956.555.5555
April 25, 2014
Ms. Mary Lincoln
Human Resources
Dynamic Industries (Omit addresses on e-mail cover letters)
Harlingen, Texas 78550
(Position you’re applying for)
The management position you advertised in today’s Valley Morning Star
greatly interests me. Dynamic Industries has always inspired and impressed
me as an ideal business model with excellent products, and I would like to
contribute to the company’s continued growth. I have enclosed my CV for
your review.
(Sell yourself )
I have worked for two companies in six years, as mentioned in my
resume, starting as a clerk, and working up to trainee manager. I have good
leadership skills and have the confidence to lead a large team through complex production projects. I have excellent speaking and writing skills and
speak English and Spanish fluently.
(Ask for an interview)
I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss my qualifications more
fully in an interview. I can be reached at 956-555-5555. Thank you for your
time and consideration.
Sincerely,
(Place your signature here)
Monica Garza
Enclosure (Or attachment, generally for your resume or work samples)
twhitehead@valleystar.com
March 23, 2014 •
Careers & Business
JOB FAIR 5
Your resume: Keep it concise, keep it honest
By Travis M. Whitehead
Valley Morning Star
After the cover letter, your
resume is the most important
initial contact with a potential
employer. So most experts say
it should strike just the right
tone.
Most of all, it should truthfully and accurately represent
your talents and skills without
overinflating them: Be honest,
and be concise.
Henry Castillo, regional
director for Southwest Key
Workforce Development, recommends that you keep your
resume as brief as possible,
but include anything that can
tell a potential employer why
you really are the best person
for the job. Southwest Key
Workforce Development is
the service provider for
Cameron Workforce Solutions
which manages workforce
centers in the area.
Work history and education are pivotal on a resume,
but what else do you do?
That’s something employers
also want to know, Castillo
said.
“Employers sometimes like
to see, ‘What does this guy like
to do outside of the job?’” he
said. “‘Are they just a workand-go-home type of person,
or are they active at home as
well?’”
This is where an applicant
may want to include memberships in organizations like
Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, or a
parent/teacher association at
your child’s school. That
shows the employer that the
job seeker is well-rounded.
There are different kinds of
resumes, and one is the
chronological type.
“They’ll just list, in chronological order, the jobs that
they’ve had with a description
of the types of duties and
activities that they did in that
job,” he said. “And then you’ll
want to include any education, any relevant training,
special training that you had,
above and beyond the normal
work that you do.”
That’s important because it
tells the employer that, in
addition to the normal work
an applicant has done, he or
she has also taken the initiative to improve.
“It says, ‘I’ve gone to this
training and that training to
try and enhance the skills that
I have so that I can be a better
employee in the job that I
do,’” Castillo said.
When applying for a specific job, do some research
about the company. That will
help you customize your
resume to the job, said
Douglas Stoves, dean of students at the University of
Texas at Brownsville.
“One of the things that I
find that some folks do is,
they’ll get one resume and
make a bunch of copies of it.
You need to look at what are
the things that the employer is
looking for,” said Stoves, who
works with the university’s
career services.
If an applicant has been
working in one job for several
years and is trying to go into
another field, it’s important to
show which skills from the
current job are transferrable
to the new job.
Online resources abound
to help with writing a good
resume.
“It’s as simple as Googling
‘resume,’ and there’s all kinds
of resume builders that will
give you some samples …” he
said. “If you’re looking for formatting advice, Monster.com
has a good one as well. And
I’m sure that there’s software
that you can purchase that
will help you write your
resume
“The biggest thing is that
before you send it out, have
someone else look at it, to see
if they can catch any typos
and errors,” he said.
twhitehead@valleystar.com
Better Training. Better Careers
Harlingen
Neighbors In Need Of Services, Inc. (NINOS)
Head Start/Early Head Start Program
“Creating a brighter future
for our children and “La Familia”
402 West Robertson Street, San Benito, TX
603 Ed Carey Dr.
956-215-7113
Pharr
1500 N. Jackson Rd.
956-215-7108
Brownsville
1424 W. Price Rd. Ste K
956-215-7109
www.scitexas.edu
6 JOB FAIR
Careers & Business
• March 23, 2014
Dress for
Success
By KAYLEIGH SOMMER
Valley Morning Star
A
ppearance is probably
about 90 percent of
your first impression
during a job interview.
What you wear, how
you sit and stand, all are part of
the impact you have on a potential
employer.
Are your clothes appropriate for
the position you’re interviewing
for? Are they neat and clean and
unwrinkled? Is the outfit sensible?
Does it fit well? And don’t forget
your hair and fingernails – it’s all
part of your appearance.
Texas State Technical College
Career Services Director Susan
Holmes says it is important to
dress professionally for a job interview, regardless of the work environment.
“One thing that people have a
hard time understanding is that
first impressions cannot be
changed,” she said.
The interviewer will decide in
the first five seconds – based on
appearance – if the applicant fits
the image the company projects.
“It’s all sensory. They will notice
eye contact, how you smell, your
confidence level, your attire, and
what your handshake is like,”
Holmes said.
A potential employer will pick
up on any missteps, too.
“Those mistakes will show the
interviewer that you don’t understand what it takes to be successful
in the workplace,” Holmes said.
Her advice is, dress for the
job you want, because “perception
is reality.”
Appropriate dress can vary by
industry.
“If you’re interviewing for a
position as a banker, then you’d
better look like a banker and wear
a suit.
“If interviewing for a welding
position, you’d better wear a collared shirt, khaki pants, and make
sure those boots are shined,”
Holmes said.
She recommends doing some
advance research about the company and how its employees dress,
and if there is a dress code. The
definition of “professional,” she
said, is not the same for every type
of job.
“Put yourself in the employer’s
frame of mind and see the vision
they have for the company, and
how they want their employees to
represent them,” she said.
Job applicants who have tattoos
or piercings are best advised to
cover them up, Holmes said, even
for industrial jobs.
“The company has a right to
promote a certain image,” she
said. “The presence of piercings
and tattoos in an interview reflects
to most employers as a sense of
non-conformity.”
A small percentage of job seekers will get it wrong.
“Some are dressed too down,
while others are too made up.
Women are encouraged to stay
away from high-fashion clothing
that is too flashy, and are discouraged from exposing too much
cleavage, wearing too much perfume and from tight-fitting clothing,” Holmes said.
Most career counselors recommend avoiding jeans or shorts,
crop or tank tops, or anything too
short or too revealing. As for shoes,
opt for conservative. No platforms,
extreme spike heels, beach sandals
or flipflops, or your lucky old
sneakers with the ratty laces.
ksommer@valleystar.com
TIPS on DRESSING FOR THE JOB
Susan Holmes, career services director
for Texas State Technical College, offers the
following quick tips for dressing for a job
interview:
H Keep it simple. Bright colors and bold
prints can draw the wrong impression to
what a person is wearing.
H Dress for the job you want, not the job
you have. Represent the company you are
interviewing for; your attire reflects on the
company.
H Keep it neat and clean. Clothing with
stains and wrinkles are never acceptable in
the workplace.
H Don’t wear revealing or tight-fitting
clothes.
FIND the right shoes to climb the corporate ladder
BPT – Climbing the corporate
ladder requires marketable skills,
initiative, creativity and ... the right
shoes?
While the importance of
proper footwear may seem
obvious for professions that
require standing or walking all day
– think waitressing, nursing and
cooking – poor shoe choices can
also trip you up in an office
setting.
“At best, sore feet can be a
troublesome distraction when
you need to concentrate in a
meeting or be at your best during
a job interview,” says Dr. Matthew
Garoufalis, a podiatrist and
president of the American
Podiatric Medical Association
(APMA).
“At worst, severe foot injuries
from poor footwear can require
corrective surgery that puts you
out of commission – and out of
the office – for extended periods
of time.”
While you may assume that
some professions are more
prone to injury than others, or
that women wearing high heels
are more at risk, everyone
working 9 to 5 should take steps
to ensure they head to work
every morning wearing shoes that
will help, not hinder, how well
they do their jobs. The APMA
offers some advice for choosing
work shoes:
FOR WOMEN
For many women, wearing
dress shoes at the office means
wearing high heels five days a
week. When you’re choosing a
dress shoe for work, whether it’s
a high heel or flats, keep these
tips in mind:
H Avoid wearing heels higher
than two inches. If you choose to
wear very high heels for a
meeting or other work occasion,
limit the time you’re in them and
change into a lower, more
comfortable pair as soon as
possible.
H Vary heel height day-to-day.
Look for “walking” pumps – also
called “comfort” or “performance”
pumps – with mid- to lowerheels. The APMA offers a list of
shoes that have earned its Seal of
Acceptance for promoting good
foot health.
H Look for plenty of toe room.
Ideally, pumps with wider,
rounded or square toe boxes give
your toes more room. Avoid
shoes with pointy toes that
squeeze digits into unnatural
positions. Cramped toes can
cause a host of foot woes, from
bunions to in-grown toenails.
H Choose wider heels that
offer more stability. Stilettos and
similar pointy heels are less stable
and may cause spinal
misalignment and ankle injuries.
H Beware ballet flats. You may
think no-heel shoes are better for
your feet, but often that’s not the
case. Ballet flats offer little
cushioning or support, and can
cause foot problems like plantar
fasciitis, an inflammation of the
tendon that connects the heel
bone to the toes.
H Regardless of heel height or
shoe style, look for shoes that
offer adequate arch and ankle
support, and plenty of cushioning.
FOR MEN
H Look for good quality Oxford
styles – like wing-tip or cap-toe
designs – which tend to be best.
You can also opt for slip-ons,
dressy loafers and low dress
boots.
H Avoid wearing the same pair
of shoes every day. You should
have at least three or four pairs of
good-quality professional shoes.
H When shoes become too
worn to be supportive anymore,
replace them. You may be
tempted to hold on to that old
pair of shoes you love, but apart
from looking unprofessional,
worn-out shoes also provide less
support for your feet.
FOR EVERYONE
Both men and women should
keep a few common tips in mind
when buying shoes:
H Always shop at the end of
the day, when feet are at their
largest.
H Choose quality materials
that allow the foot to breathe.
H Look for shoes that offer
good support.
H Never buy a pair of shoes
that are uncomfortable, assuming
you’ll “break them in.” Shoes
should be comfortable right away.
If they’re not, then they’re not the
right shoes for your feet.
To learn more about foot
health, or to find a podiatrist in
your area, visit www.apma.org.
March 23, 2014 •
Careers & Business
JOB FAIR 7
The Interview: Networking helps land jobs, build careers
Be Confident
By FERNANDO DEL VALLE
Valley Morning Star
By Kayleigh Sommer
Valley Morning Star
So, your cover letter and resume have led to an
interview with a prospective employer. Here begins
the most critical part of the job-seeking process.
Dolores Juarez, director of Career Services at
Southern Careers Institute in Harlingen, said that how
well a person does in an interview really depends on
one person – the applicant.
“Everyone is different,” she said. “Some might
have an employment history and some don’t.”
Despite differences, there are some common
elements that anyone going into a job interview
should keep in mind.
Always showcase your strengths, she said.
“Show them the skills you have that apply to the
job,” she said. “Be confident in those skills.”
When attending an interview, it’s important to
know what the company does. Juarez said it is
important to research the company beforehand, as
part of your preparation for the interview. This shows
the employer that you are interested in the company
and serious about getting the job.
“The interviewer might ask you what you know
about the company,” Juarez said. “This will impress
them and it will show them that you are prepared.”
Juarez encourages job seekers to practice reciting
answers to questions asked in a mock interview.
“This will help some people that have never
interviewed before,” she said.
For others, it will help prepare answers for
potential questions.
Those interview questions can range in category
from past employment history to future life plans.
The practice interview can be done with a friend,
family member, or in front of a mirror, she said, but
getting feedback can be important.
“It really helps to get that constructive criticism,”
she said.
Juarez advises job seekers to always be prepared,
not just before you get the job, but also once you
have it.
“Usually, the job goes to people who are
organized,” she said.
She offered additional tips, like “always bring
extra copies of your resume and any important
documents that you might need. It’s nice to have it in
front of you, then the employer won’t have to
scramble around looking for it.”
You can make the interview process easier for the
employer, too, if you volunteer relevant information
about yourself. Because the interview gives an
employer a chance to get to know you, Juarez said, it
is important to answer each question truthfully.
“Be as honest as you can, make your answers
identify who you really are,” she said. “They
appreciate honesty, it’s refreshing.”
And, it doesn’t hurt to be unique, she said.
“Be yourself. They are going to hire you, not a fake
persona,” she said.
ksommer@valleystar.com
HARLINGEN — Tyler Dale
counts on networking to help his
new business blast off.
To that end, he handed out
about 300 business cards recently,
during the first hour of the
Harlingen Area Chamber of
Commerce’s first-ever Fiesta del
Mercado Prime Time trade fair.
“That honestly has been the
most effective networking event
I’ve been to in a year, at least,” said
Dale, an account executive with
Digital Media Group, a mobile
app developer that opened shop
in downtown Harlingen in
October 2012.
“We’re happy with the outcome,” he said. “We got a lot of
business leads. It’s opened up a
lot of doors. We were able to get
people interested in what we have
to offer.”
Experts agree that networking
has developed into one of the
most vital tools in today’s evolving
business world.
“It’s an extremely important
aspect of doing business,” said
Mark Kroll, dean of the University
of Texas at Brownsville’s School of
Business. “It’s a critical dimension
of building a career and doing
business.”
Networking has long been a
part of doing business, he said,
but it has evolved radically.
“Networking is simply getting
out there and building a repertoire in either the same or related
fields,” he said.
But websites like LinkedIn
have helped networking expand
dramatically in scope.
“With the advent of networking sites, there are formal mechanisms to network,” Kroll said. “It’s
easy to do simply because of all
the communications avenues we
now have.”
Today’s business students
learn that networking can help
them land jobs and build careers.
“We try to get our students out
to connect so they can begin the
networking process,” Kroll said.
“Networking is a two-way street.
It’s about helping each other. It’s
not just what someone can do for
you. It’s finding the opportunity
David Pike / Valley Morning Star
Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever Fiesta del Mercado Prime Time trade fair
was a great opportunity for networking.
when you’re helping others.”
Today,
workshops
teach students to build
part of their job search
around networking, said
Juan Andres Rodriguez,
the university’s career services program director.
“Networking is a key
component in their job
search,” said Rodriguez,
who holds workshops
that feature networking.
“When students look
for employment, many
positions are filled by people you know.”
Networking also helps
students target their tal-
ents to employers.
“It’s important to be
known in the market,” he
said. “It’s important to
meet as many recruiters
as you can. People will get
to know who you are and
the skills you possess.”
fdelvalle@valleystar.com
8 JOB FAIR
Careers & Business
• March 23, 2014
Law enforcement offers career potential
By JESSE MENDOZA
Valley Morning Star
South Texas College
HARLINGEN — Demand for police officers and
detectives is expected to increase at least 5 percent
through 2022, but applicants for those jobs can
expect competition, according to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
Some Rio Grande Valley agencies, including the
Harlingen Police Department and the U.S. Border
Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector, continually recruit
new police officers and agents to replace retiring,
transferring or resigned employees.
Harlingen police, for example, maintain a workforce of about 140 sworn-in officers, while Border
Patrol is mandated to maintain 21,391 agents
nationwide.
Job candidates for jobs in law enforcement must
meet a variety of often stringent criteria: minimum
education standards, age requirements, have an
acceptable criminal background record, have a valid
driver’s license, pass medical and physical fitness
requirements, complete police or federal academies, and successfully complete a probation period.
Training tends to be strenuous, so applicants
also must be vetted to meet the physical demands
of the job, said Adriana Palacios, operations officer
Jesse Mendoza / Valley Morning Star
Harlingen Police candidates go through rigorous training.
with the Border Patrol RGV Sector.
“Our job is physically demanding. Our primary
duty is to work outside, not only for your job but it’s
actually a safety issue,” she said.
“What I love about the Border Patrol is that it’s not
just working outside ... all the time. It’s different
things. You are not just sitting there in your vehicle.
You could be on an ATV, you can be on a horse, you
can be on a motorcycle, you can have a K9,” Palacios
said. “There are so many things about this job that
people don’t realize.”
Many law enforcement agencies offer opportunities for advancement within their ranking structures
and units.
“We try to grow from the bottom. We want promotions, we want a recruit to promote in five years
to sergeant,” said Field Training Coordinator Joey
Garcia, of the Harlingen Police Department.
“What is better than somebody promoting from
within the ranks, from a recruit to a deputy chief one
day, or the chief’s position,” he said. “We encourage
officers to grow here.”
Successful applicants can expect lucrative benefits, including health insurance, a 401K retirement
plan, vacation time and, depending on the agency, a
base pay of between $32,000 to $35,000.
Some agencies provide collective bargaining.
Garcia and Palacios both said a career in law
enforcement requires a passion for the work that
goes beyond the paycheck.
“For the most part we are professional report
writers, we are counselors, we are mediators,” Garcia
said.
“Ultimately it’s all about helping and protecting
people.”
South Texas College is a nationally recognized and award winning
comprehensive college serving over 30,000 students with 2,103 faculty
and staff across five full-service campuses, one virtual campus , and
numerous dual enrollment partnering high schools.
Founded in 1993, STC is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate and associate degrees. STC is the
third fastest growing community college in the nation according to Community College Week,
offering over 100 associate degree and certificate program options, and is the only community
college in Texas to offer two baccalaureate degrees.
To Learn more about South Texas College visit
our web site at: www.southtexascollege.edu
Employment Opportunities
South Texas College seeks experienced
visionary leaders capable of building upon the
institutions strengths.
HOW TO APPLY:
Staff :
Send a complete application packet which includes
letter of intent, STC application, resume (no personal
information please) copies of transcripts (official
transcripts required prior to employment) and a list of
five professional references with addresses and
phone numbers to: South Texas College
Office of Human Resources
2501 W. Pecan Blvd
McAllen, TX 78501
Faculty: Faculty Employment Applications are
We will be hosting an Adjunct Job Fair.
Visit us on Saturday April 26, 2014 at the
Pecan Campus, Building H -Cafeteria
now automated. Apply online at:
http://hr.southtexascollege.edu/
employment.aspx
Or visit our website to
view our complete listings.
**All potential and new hires are subject to background checks.
STC is an EEO/AA Employer
10 JOB FAIR
Careers & Business
• March 23, 2014
Are you passionate about food?
By Travis M. Whitehead
Valley Morning Star
HARLINGEN – Food. We all
need it. Some of us love eating it.
Some love cooking it. Others love
presenting it to appreciative
foodies. But if you’re hoping to
get into the food services business, most people in the know
say you need two things to make
a go of it: a serious passion for
the business, and the stamina
and willingness to work
long hours.
Rudy Piña is the owner of “I
Cook U Eat,” a restaurant and
catering service at 624 W. Van
Buren Ave. in Harlingen with an
innovative business model: He
provides only one meal service a
day, a lunch that starts at 1 p.m.,
which has a limited menu that
changes from day to day. He also
does a lot of catering and gives
cooking classes, so the restaurant portion of his business is
contained and manageable.
He opened his business a
couple of years ago and has had
professional training in food services, but it takes more than a
cooking degree to make it in the
restaurant business, he said.
“There’s people that graduated that I’ve hired in the past from
culinary arts and they’re a total
disaster,” said Piña. “They don’t
want to put in the work.
“To be a chef, you have to be
a cook, you have to manage, you
have to supervise, hire, fire, order,
go to the store – everything!”
There is a wide range of jobs
and needs in the food service
industry, from owning a restaurant or catering business, to
waiting and bussing tables and
tending bar. And that doesn’t
include the intricate hierarchy of
chefs and cooks, to include sous
chefs and pastry chefs.
Alex Formacio, manager of
The Pizzeria, at 1610 E. Tyler Ave.
in Harlingen, said if you are
thinking about a job in food ser-
vices, it’s best to first get a job in a
restaurant. That will give you an
idea of just how much work is
involved.
Formacio, who
has worked in
the
restaurant industry
for 15 years, said he never graduated from college, so it took him
a lot longer to work himself up to
manager than those with a
degree. He felt professional
training in business and culinary
arts were both important, and at
chef’s school, students learn
about the ingredients and creative combinations that serve up
really good food.
Business studies are important, too, he said.
“It’s important because
you need to know how
to run a business
properly, how to
have portion controls, how to manage your income
and manage your
expenses,” he said. “I
think those are very
important before you can
have a successful business.”
Texas State Technical College
in Harlingen offers a two-year
culinary arts program. Carl Eads,
the department chairman, said
many people get started in the
restaurant business while working part-time jobs in high school
or college. They find the foodservice industry attractive and
decide to pursue it.
“The key indicator here is
someone who needs either to
have or develop a passion for the
business … It does entail long
hours, being on your feet a lot,
working in a hot noisy kitchen,”
he said.
You also have to achieve quality results while working rapidly.
TSTC offers courses in baking
and other types of cooking, he
said, along with hands-on training in a real commercial kitchen
and dining facility.
“We are actually serving the
public and catering special
events, a variety of special events
throughout the year,” he said.
Sanitation and safety are an
integral part of the coursework.
The program also teaches the
proper application of cost percentages and menu pricing in
order to achieve financial success.
“We do have our last couple
of semesters that are geared
toward management,” he said.
twhitehead@valleystar.com
JOB FAIR
SPONSORS
If you are unemployed, underemployed or just want to see what is
available in the job market or
discover educational opportunities,
come to one or all of the 2014 job
fairs. Bring your resumes and other
documents. On site interviews will
be conducted.
Job Fair to be held in Brownsville,
Harlingen and McAllen.
McALLEN
Tuesday, Mar. 25
10am-3pm
The Monitor
1400 E. Nolana
HARLINGEN
BROWNSVILLE
Wednesday, Mar. 26
10am-3pm
Harlingen Community Center
201 E. Madison
Thursday, Mar. 27
10am-3pm
The Brownsville Herald
1135 E. Van Buren
Job Fairs presented by
Sally Rodriguez
(956) 982-6671
srodriguez@brownsvilleherald.com
Priscilla Garcia
(956) 430-6236
pgarcia@valleystar.com
Mercy Contreras
(956) 683-4181
mercedes@themonitor.com
Visit the sponsors
and all booths
at the Job Fair.
March 23, 2014 •
IT Workforce Needed
By Travis M. Whitehead
Valley Morning Star
If you’re good with computers, phones and other technology, your job outlook is promising.
Still, career counselors are
quick to issue a word of caution:
There’s a big difference between
using computers and working
on them.
Edna Quintana Claus, computer information systems director at Texas State Technical
College in Harlingen, said people
in the IT field must be good critical thinkers. And they should
understand that they are not
going to be sitting alone in a dark
room, working on a computer.
The IT field definitely requires
interaction with other people.
“They’re going to have to be
good communicators, both verbally and in the written word,” said
Claus, also a professor at TSTC.
“They’re going to need to do
very well in math, as well,” she
said. “The IT professional is
going to have to know more
about mobile devices, how to
configure them, how to not only
use them, but also how to interact with them.”
The biggest priority in the IT
field is understanding how to
safeguard sensitive information,
she said.
“Security is going to be the
top consideration as far as how
to have your mobile device, feel
comfortable with it, and know
that you’re still being protected,”
she said. “Whether your mobile
is a smart phone or a laptop, or a
tablet, IT professionals need to
understand and be able to apply
the security piece.”
The security piece involves
making sure that the user is protected, either through software,
stronger passwords or encryp-
tion of servers, and by making
sure all access is monitored. It
ensures that the people accessing the computer system are
cleared to do so, and that nobody
is trying to hack in.
Frank Zecca, executive director of IT services at the University
of Texas Pan-American in
Edinburg, said cyber security,
also known as information security, is a highly-paid job.
“It’s one of those jobs that you
have that, if you’re not doing a very
good job at security, you don’t stay
around in those jobs, especially if
there are security breaches,” he
said. “So it’s a very high-paying job
for a reason. It comes with a lot of
responsibility. And if something
does go wrong, you’re the person
that gets in trouble.”
Claus predicts that other
branches of information technology are going to be “up and
coming,” like are computer sys-
tem analysis, and computer system engineering and architecture.
“The other thing is the information technology project managers, making sure that people
have the understanding of how
to develop, implement and
ensure that a project gets done
on time and under budget,” she
said.
IT courses available at TSTC
include computer networking
and security technology, computer systems management
HVAC/R
Technician
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TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 10am - 3pm
Medical Office
Specialist
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Now!
Medical
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Management
Careers & Business
JOB FAIR 11
technology, and telecommunications technology.
UTPA has a broad range of IT
courses in the colleges of Science
and Mathematics, Engineering
and Computer Science, and the
College of Business. Zecca said
UT-San Antonio has a good
cyber security program, and
there is talk of opening a similar
program at UTPA. The main
computer degrees now offered at
UTPA are computer science and
software engineering.
twhitehead@valleystar.com
Medical
Assistant
Computer
Support
Technician
888.323.8970
www.kaplancollege.com
1900 North Expressway, Suite O
Brownsville, TX 78521
For more information on our programs and their outcomes visit www.kaplancollege.com/consumer-info.
Kaplan College does not guarantee employment or career advancement.
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Come see our Booth at these 3 Job Fairs:
Tuesday, March 25th – McAllen Monitor Building | 1400 E. Nolana, McAllen
Wednesday, March 26th – Harlingen Community Center | 201 E. Madison, Harlingen
Thursday, March 27th – Brownsville Herald Building | 1135 E. Van Buren, Brownsville